Install VNC Server on Rocky Linux 9

This guide will take you through how to install VNC Server on Rocky Linux 9. Virtual Network Computing abbreviated as VNC is a graphical desktop sharing solution that enables you to control a distant computer by sending keyboard, mouse, and touch events to the VNC server.

How to Install VNC Server on Rocky Linux 9

• Update your system using the command below.

sudo dnf update

• Install EPEL repository.

sudo dnf install -y epel-release

• If you are using a server OS without GUI, install the desktop environment using the following command.

sudo dnf install @xfce-desktop-environment

• Set default GUI.

sudo systemctl set-default graphical

• Reboot your system to apply changes.

sudo reboot

• Next, install TigerVNC which we will use in this example.

sudo dnf install tigervnc-server -y

Sample output

Dependencies resolved.
======================================================================
 Package                  Arch    Version            Repository  Size
======================================================================
Installing:
 tigervnc-server          x86_64  1.11.0-21.el9      appstream  246 k
Installing dependencies:
 dbus-x11                 x86_64  1:1.12.20-5.el9    appstream   24 k
 tigervnc-license         noarch  1.11.0-21.el9      appstream   16 k
 tigervnc-selinux         noarch  1.11.0-21.el9      appstream   25 k
 tigervnc-server-minimal  x86_64  1.11.0-21.el9      appstream  1.1 M

Transaction Summary
======================================================================
Install  5 Packages

Total download size: 1.4 M
Installed size: 3.5 M
Downloading Packages:
(1/5): dbus-x11-1.12.20-5.el9.x86_64.  25 kB/s |  24 kB     00:00    
(2/5): tigervnc-selinux-1.11.0-21.el9 121 kB/s |  25 kB     00:00    
(3/5): tigervnc-license-1.11.0-21.el9  73 kB/s |  16 kB     00:00    
(4/5): tigervnc-server-1.11.0-21.el9. 144 kB/s | 246 kB     00:01    
(5/5): tigervnc-server-minimal-1.11.0 376 kB/s | 1.1 MB     00:03    
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Total                                 325 kB/s | 1.4 MB     00:04     
Running transaction check
Transaction check succeeded.
Running transaction test
Transaction test succeeded.
Running transaction
  Preparing        :                                              1/1 
  Installing       : tigervnc-license-1.11.0-21.el9.noarch        1/5 
  Running scriptlet: tigervnc-selinux-1.11.0-21.el9.noarch        2/5 
  Installing       : tigervnc-selinux-1.11.0-21.el9.noarch        2/5 
  Running scriptlet: tigervnc-selinux-1.11.0-21.el9.noarch        2/5 
  Installing       : dbus-x11-1:1.12.20-5.el9.x86_64              3/5 
  Installing       : tigervnc-server-minimal-1.11.0-21.el9.x86_   4/5 
  Installing       : tigervnc-server-1.11.0-21.el9.x86_64         5/5 
  Running scriptlet: tigervnc-server-1.11.0-21.el9.x86_64         5/5 
  Verifying        : dbus-x11-1:1.12.20-5.el9.x86_64              1/5 
  Verifying        : tigervnc-server-minimal-1.11.0-21.el9.x86_   2/5 
  Verifying        : tigervnc-server-1.11.0-21.el9.x86_64         3/5 
  Verifying        : tigervnc-selinux-1.11.0-21.el9.noarch        4/5 
  Verifying        : tigervnc-license-1.11.0-21.el9.noarch        5/5 

Installed:
  dbus-x11-1:1.12.20-5.el9.x86_64                                     
  tigervnc-license-1.11.0-21.el9.noarch                               
  tigervnc-selinux-1.11.0-21.el9.noarch                               
  tigervnc-server-1.11.0-21.el9.x86_64                                
  tigervnc-server-minimal-1.11.0-21.el9.x86_64                        

Complete!

• Add VNC service to your firewall.

sudo firewall-cmd --add-service=vnc-server --permanent

• Reload your firewall.

sudo firewall-cmd --reload

• Set the VNC password using the command below.

vncpasswd

Sample output

Password:
Verify:
Would you like to enter a view-only password (y/n)? n
A view-only password is not used

• Create a VNC config file using the command below.

sudo nano ~/.vnc/config

Paste the configuration below into the file created above.

# create new
# session=(display manager you use)
# securitytypes=(security options)
# geometry=(screen resolution)
session=gnome
securitytypes=vncauth,tlsvnc
geometry=800x600

• Open the VNC users configuration file using the command below.

sudo nano /etc/tigervnc/vncserver.users

Then enter the display number with the user as in the example below.

## TigerVNC User assignment
#
# This file assigns users to specific VNC display numbers.
# The syntax is =. E.g.:
#
# :2=andrew
# :3=lisa

:1=demouser
:2=itnixpro

• Start the VNC server and enable it to run on boot.

sudo systemctl enable --now vncserver@:1 vncserver@:2

Configure VNC Client

• Open your VNC client, then enter the VNC server IP address followed by port 5901 for display one, port 5902 for display two and so on in that order.

• To get your VNC server IP run the command below on Rocky Linux 9 running your VNC.

ip a

• After hitting the connect button you will be prompted to enter your VNC server password as shown below.

• You will be able to access the machine running the VNC server after successful authentication as shown below.

• That marks the end of our article. we have gone through how to install VNC Server on Rocky Linux 9.

Read more about TigerVNC

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